Amid reports of paramedics manning the health centres with 15% of sanctioned posts doctors lying vacant, the Odisha government has accorded permission to pharmacists to dispense drugs to patients suffering from minor ailments and minor injury for symptomatic treatment.

The government’s decision comes at a time when as many as 1,286 sanctioned posts of doctors are lying vacant right from the dispensaries at the village level to government-run medical colleges across the State. Of the 8,729 posts lying vacant, 7,443 are occupied with the remaining 1,286 lying idle. The existing vacancies stand at 15% of the total sanctioned posts.

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It’s the remote rural areas that are the worst hit by the vacancy syndrome with pharmacists and paramedics running the health system.

In the absence of the required number of doctors in rural health centres, dispensaries, quacks are cashing in on the situation, running a parallel health service network.

Many of the single doctor hospitals in the state are managed by the pharmacists in absence of doctors due to some reason or other.

It is difficult to manage the said hospitals without any specific government orders entrusting the pharmacists for treatment of patients and list of ailments to be treated by them, the health authorities in an official order issued on 21 September confided.

“In order to overcome the difficulties, the government, after careful consideration, has been pleased to decide on partial modification to an earlier order. The Pharmacists are entrusted to dispense the following drugs for ailments as per the list enclosed for treatment in absence of Doctors”, the Health and Family Welfare Department in an official order noted while entrusting the pharmacists to manage the minor ailments.

The pharmacists can dispense drugs to patients suffering from minor ailments and minor injury for symptomatic treatment, the order added.

Earlier, the Health Secretary had furnished a report before the bench of the HC citing that as many as 337 doctor posts are lying vacant in medical colleges in Odisha while there are at least 1695 vacancies at hospitals in the district level.

It may be recalled here that the government had initiated the process to recruit 2,452 doctors earlier in January last. However, 786 doctors could be recruited by the recruitment drive conducted under the stewardship of the Orissa Public Service Commission (OPSC).

It may also be noted here that the government on 22 July last year had extended the retirement age of doctors from 62 years to 65 years to tide over the shortage of doctors amidst the raging pandemic.

The government had earlier announced 100% incentives for the medicos posted in medical colleges set up in KBK (Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput) region and 25 percent for other areas – at least 100 km from the existing medical colleges set up before 2017.

The government claims to streamline health service networks through a citizen-centric 5T feedback system. However, ground realities speak altogether a different story. The health service network is on the verge of a breakdown.

The infrastructure of health centers has definitely been given a facelift. But these are unmanned with the drought of doctors.

The well-furnished hospital buildings have been reduced to figurative and decorative pieces. The very purpose for which hospitals have come up stands defeated as people are largely deprived of health service due to a lack of doctors.

Poor people are left to fend for themselves as health centres and dispensaries are left unmanned. It’s the small children and pregnant women who are suffering the most, alleged Congress spokesperson and former minister, Ganeswar Behera.